The 1980 tournament divided participants into two divisions of four teams, each playing three games. The top two teams in each division advanced to the championship round, while the bottom two were placed in the consolation round. Each division played another round robin. The top three teams in the championship won the gold, silver and bronze medals. Teams that faced each other in the first round had their results carried over to the final rounds.

This is the aggregate standings, ordered according to final placing. The four teams in the championship round were ranked one through four, while the four teams in the consolation round were ranked five through eight regardless of overall record.

The second tier of the World Junior Championship was contested in Klagenfurt, Austria from March 7 to 13, 1980. Eight teams were divided into two groups of four that played a round robin, followed by placement games against the respective team in the other group. The Hungarian team made their first appearance this year.